More of a Hindrance
by VyzieTaur
Summary: Three of the survivors get more than slightly irritated with the remaining compatriot and abandon them to their fate.


Disclaimer: I do not own Left 4 Dead or anything associated with it. In fact I don't even properly own a copy of the game =/

* * *

Francis slammed the safe room door.

"What the HELL was that?!"

"I-"

"You know what? I don't even care Louis"

He stormed off to the other side of the safe room where Zoey was sat on the floor cradling her right elbow. He exchanged places with Bill who had just finished patching up a nasty gash to the side of her face. Bill correspondingly took up Francis's previous role of slating Louis.

"It's one thing to risk your own life. It's quite another to risk someone else's"

"I-"

"Zoey was being dragged off by a smoker and you just stood there!"

"I was reloading!"

"Haven't you ever heard of beat down?! Christ, she could have been killed! It's bad enough that you always make sure you're the first to all the med kits and supplies-"

"Yer don't think we haven't noticed" came Francis's input from across the room. Zoey was being helped unsteadily to her feet, a recycled bandage strapped around her arm.

"How's your arm?" Louis offered.

"I'll live" she answered coolly.

"About before…I'm-"

"Yer, just don't let it happen again" Bill jumped in.

Zoey didn't stay anything, just turned and made her way over to a corner of the safe room, folding up a jacket for use as a pillow.

"Guys I think I'm going to have a lie down"

"You want us to wake you when we've got some food going?"

"If you don't mind. Just give me half hour. I think I just need to rest a while"

She rolled over to face the wall, keeping off her bad arm.

As it was already 8:00pm Bill got to work putting together a meal for the four of them while Francis checked over their weapons and ammo supplies. Even now and then he would glance over towards where Louis was sat, reading a battered magazine he had found behind one of the crates. The meal was light, with Zoey upon waking saying she felt more sick than anything. Louis only picked at his rice and seemed generally disinterested in the threads of conversation that Bill and Francis were trying to keep alive.

By the end of the meal Zoey was practically falling asleep where she sat. Francis helped her over to where her jacket still lay folded and she was asleep within minutes. Bill spent a few minutes reading the scrawl on the walls from previous survivors who had used the room as a safe haven then similarly found his own wall space, sat slumped slightly forward proceeded to doze off. Francis had just one more thing to do before he too could sleep. He approached Louis slowly, before, in one swift motion, he had him by the throat against the door.

"Francis?!" Louis barely managed a strangled cry, hands frantically grasping at Francis's.

"You pull a stunt like that again, and I will kill you" He kept hold of Louis a couple of seconds more for good measure before letting him drop to the floor. Glancing around, neither Bill nor Zoey seemed to have been disturbed. He shot one last disgusted look at Louis before finding his own corner and bedding down for the night.

* * *

Francis woke in the middle of the night, identifiable only by the pressing darkness still all around. He promptly rolled over, preparing to go back to sleep when he noticed Bill stood at the safe room door, cigarette between his lips. Wondering what the old man could be staring so intently at at this time of night he pushed himself up off the floor and joined him.

"What's so interesting? You seen something?"

Bill didn't jump.

"We need to do something about Louis" he said, ignoring the question.

"That little-" Francis balled his hands into fists, a fleeting look of intense anger flitting across his face. "I don't know what's gotten into him lately"

"He certainly does seem more concerned with his own interests than with those of the group"

Francis snorted "that's one big understatement"

"He's becoming a liability. He's going to get himself or someone else killed"

"Yer and who do you think the 'someone else' is going to be?" he raised an eyebrow

Bill laughed bitterly "At least if he got himself killed he wouldn't be risking our asses every five minutes"

"Well, it's a dangerous place out there. You never know what could happen the next time we step out that door" Francis replied suggestively, glancing sideways at Bill.

"Hmmm" Bill made a contemplative noise in the back of his throat, his cigarette long having been extinguished.

Francis took that as his cue to leave so he turned and headed back to his makeshift bed. The last thing he saw before dropping back off to sleep was Bill still stood at the door staring out into the night.

* * *

The next morning tempers were still slightly frayed, Francis's more so. Zoey seemed to have given Louis's error of judgement up as a one off stupid mistake but the biker didn't seem so forgiving. Bill stayed silent. After a hurried breakfast as all were keen to get moving they checked their ammo, reloaded their weapons and grabbed the supplies they reckoned they would need for that day.

Bill was the first out the safe room, stepping to the left and scanning the alley with his assault rifle. Francis was close behind and Zoey stepped out after them sweeping her gun to the right, taking down two zombies that were coming up on Bills rear. They proceeded with caution due to Zoey's injured arm, however, they had only rounded the next corner when they heard a sound that all had come to dread.

"Witch up ahead"

The soft crying was carried to them on the breeze across the construction yard.

"You see her?"

"No, not yet"

With Bill leading, the survivors made their way around the scaffolding, killing zombies as they went but being sparing with their fire until they had located the Witch. Staying together, they made their way around the ground floor of the construction yard, dispatching any infected they found, all the while keeping a close look out for any signs of the elusive Witch. When the area was finally cleared and they came up against a seemingly insurmountable barrier there was still no sign of her. The barricade now became their primary cause for concern.

"We have to destroy it"

"What?!" exclaimed Louis. "That's going to make enough noise to attract every zombie from here to...I don't even know. A long way away"

"Got any better ideas?" Francis looked at Louis who held up his hands in defence

"Hey I was just saying"

"I think I spotted some fuel canisters on top of that" Zoey suggested, pointing at a large concrete structure to their right. "We could use them to set up some kind of perimeter defence?"

"I think that's our best bet" agreed Bill. "Let's check out the area and see where we've got the most cover"

"Don't forget there's still a Witch around somewhere. We do NOT want to be making her mad" prompted Francis. None of them needed the reminder.

With this in mind they decided that their best bet was first to accurately locate the Witch. The crying seemed to increase in magnitude the nearer they got to the concrete structure and Louis was nominated to climb a nearby ladder and have a look around.

"Why me?!" Louis complained

Francis's reply was less than sympathetic "Stop being such a girl and climb the damn ladder"

Louis put one foot on the bottom rung then turned and looked at Francis. Obviously deciding that there was nothing he could retort with he started to climb, a sulky look on his face. And with good reason.

The crying was getting noticeably louder the closer he got to the top. Slowing right down he peered over the top of the structure out onto a flat concrete roof.

"What can you see?!" Bill shouted up. Louis glared daggers at him then seemed to appreciate his error and pressed a finger to his lips. He could see the Witch. She was sitting approximately ten feet away with her back to him, soft sobs gently rocking her body. Louis backed steadily down the ladder.

"No go" he said "She's sitting far too close to those fuel canisters for us to be able to use them"

"So what's plan B?" asked Francis

"I reckon we climb into the bottom of the scaffolding and hold them off from there" suggested Bill. "What do you reckon?" He looked around

Zoey shrugged "Sounds as good as anything to me"

"Lets get moving then" said Francis "You guys take up positions; I'll light those barrels in front of the barricade and then-"

"Run like hell?" Zoey smiled at him.

"Exactly" replied Francis.

Three minutes later three of the survivors, minus Francis were guarding every entrance to a wooden platform they had found under the scaffolding. It was slightly raised off the ground giving them a minor advantage but at this point they were willing to take anything they could get.

"Ready?!" shouted Francis.

"Always" Bill answered.

Francis smiled to himself and shot the explosive barrel next to the barricade. The cylinder exploded in an eruption of fire and as Louis had predicted, an extremely loud bang. Quickly retreating he made it around the concrete tower and wooden scaffold and onto the platform where his friends were positioned.

A scream rose up into the air, where it was quickly joined by another, and yet another until the sounds were tumbling over themselves to reach the ears of the survivors. This was followed by footfalls and the rustle of clothing as all the infected within a fifty meter radius swarmed to the sound. The growling of a Hunter could also be heard close by. The first zombies came into sight.

Before long the survivors were inundated and struggling to hold of the wave that was now pressing in upon all sides. Bill was spraying bullets into the crowd of infected in front of him and seemed to be succeeding in holding them back only for them to push further into the defences. Zoey appeared at his elbow.

"Need a hand?" she asked, not waiting for his to answer before she emptied a clip into the approaching horde.

"Thanks" Bill responded when there was a break in the onslaught.

"No problem" she returned.

Reloading her pistol she glanced over her shoulder. "How you boys doing back there?"

"Peachy" Louis countered. "Hey, I think they're easing up"

"Don't speak too soon" Francis warned, but Louis appeared to be correct.

Bill carefully poked his head out and took a look around.

"I think Louis was right. It looks safe to move out"

"Alright, but be careful" Francis cautioned. "There's still a Hunter out there somewhere"

* * *

Zoey's arm had started to bleed through its bandage. After making it through the barricade the survivors had pressed on, across the street and proceeded warily around the metal fences and power generators. By luck, they found some medical supplies in a small room off their main route and Zoey had taken some much needed pain pills. Before long however, her injury was starting to overcome her and this found them with Bill patching up her arm with Francis staring out over the devastation before them.

To the left of the doorway there was a large hole in the wall and it was through this that Francis had stepped and was now surveying the area. A large sign proclaiming 'Metro International Airport' had come loose from one of its hangings and now hung lamely towards the ground. A plane had gone down and very nearly collided with the building from which he had just emerged. The asphalt was cracked and tumbled and littered with several small fires, the engine of a plane and what looked like a bus stop, its sides made of fractured glass.

"There" Bill said tucking in the end of the bandage. "That should keeping you going until we reach the next safe house"

"Thanks" Zoey replied. The tightness round her arm seemed to staunch the bleeding and made it feel ten times better.

"Ready?" came Francis's voice from just outside. The other three joined him, Louis from where he had been using a nearby wall as an impromptu toilet. "I've been checking the place out and I think our best bet is to head straight over to that wall" he said pointing. "If we stick to it it might make us less of a target. The way left looks pretty blocked"

All in agreement they picked their way across the destruction and made a sharp left when they came up against the wall. Their going was slow. Zoey was still not operating at one hundred percent and due to the state of the area there was no shortage of places for zombies to lurk out of sight and catch them unawares if they weren't careful.

"Car park ahead" shouted Bill back to the other three. He turned and shot yet another round into the head of yet another zombie that had gotten uncomfortably close and they made their way forwards through the entrance.

Once inside the visibility was markedly reduced and following Francis's example, all switched on their flashlights. There didn't seem to be as many infected in here as there had been outside and they made it to the upper level without much difficulty. As they rounded the corner they could see the sky bridge and knew they were close to the airport and hopefully somewhere to rest up.

"We're almost there!" Zoey exclaimed.

Louis who was slightly ahead in his haste was dispatching the last of the zombies in the immediate vicinity when one unexpectedly lunged at him from the side.

"Louis! On your right!"

In his panic he turned suddenly and his fire went wild, bullets ricocheting of a nearby car. The noise of the alarm was deafening in the enclosed space.

"Oh shit"

"Louis!!"

"RUN!"

They had barely moved ten yards when the telltale noise of the horde encroached upon them from all directions. The doorway was up ahead.

"We're not going to make it!"

No sooner had the words escaped Louis mouth when the sound of running feet reached their ears. From the right a flood of zombies surged out of the darkness heading straight towards them. Within seconds they were all engaged, desperately fighting their way to the doorway ahead. The zombies continued to appear and Louis and Francis were starting to get separated from the other two. On the plus side, they were close. Safety was at hand.

"Ahhhhhh!" A scream rang out above the noise of the horde causing Francis to spin 90° to his right. Louis was being dragged backwards across the tarmac, a look of terror on his face; the long tongue wrapped securely around him.

Francis beat back two zombies, started forward then stopped, remembering his threat from the night before. Maybe he wouldn't have to. Maybe the answer to the problem he and Bill had been discussing last night could be solved once and for all. Irreversibly so.

"Francis!" Louis's eyes widened as the Smokers tongue tightened around his waist. "Don't just stand there!"

Francis looked back over his shoulder. Bill was surrounded and beating zombies back with a vengeance and Zoey looked pretty occupied desperately fighting off the Hunter that was currently clawing at her midriff. No one would notice if he simply walked away.

"Sorry Louis"

"Francis! You can't be serious! Get me out of herrrreeee!" and then he was gone, vanished into the shadows at the edge of the parking lot. The remainder of his screams Francis didn't stay to hear, in a few seconds he was across the car park knocking the Hunter off of Zoey and putting three shotgun rounds into its chest. No longer surrounded, Bill was at the doorway.

"Safe house up ahead!"

A short run later, more of a limp for Zoey, and Bill was closing the safe room door behind him. Turning he leaned heavily against it before looking around the room as if taking stock.

"Where's Louis?"

Zoey's head snapped up from her position sat leaning against the wall and she too looked round. "I don't know. I thought he was following us" she looked at Francis who wouldn't meet her gaze.

Bill was hit with the sudden realisation of what might have befallen their once loyal companion. "Francis? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything" he drawled.

"But..." Zoey started but couldn't think of a way to finish. She looked back down at the floor again and the other two followed her example.

Having decided to stay put for the rest of that day, their meal that evening was noticeably subdued. Bill made a small fire and they heated some pasta and tins of soup. Everyone ate hungrily, though in silence. Ten minutes later, when all were nearly done, Zoey finally broke the quiet.

"Hey" she said, sounding surprised. "There's enough for seconds"

* * *

Thanks for reading =D


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